And police have again urged people to be more vigilant and not let their guard down in the run-up to Christmas and the New Year.

Pc Dave McSweeney, of Huddersfield police, said: "These four offences all stand out because they have been committed by opportunist thieves when the victims' let their guard down - sometimes for just a few seconds.

"All four probably thought they would not fall victim to crime like this, but someone does, just about every day."

The first victim was an 82-year-old woman who put her handbag down on a table while she put her coat on after a carol service at Huddersfield Parish Church at 2.30pm on Thursday.

Two men grabbed the bag and fled down Northumberland Street.

Both were described as white, in their 20s and wore light-coloured tops and baseball caps.

Two hours later, a 57-year-old woman had been shopping in Skelmanthorpe and returned to her car in the car park at the Co-op store on Commercial Road.

She put her handbag in the passenger side of the car, but as she walked around to get in the driver's seat, two men opened the passenger door, grabbed her handbag and fled.

Both were white and one wore glasses.

They may have been using a red Ford Escort.

At 5.15pm the same day, thieves spotted a handbag left inside the passenger footwell of a car on Laund Road at Salendine Nook.

They smashed a window and stole the £70 Tula handbag containing cash, a cheque book, bank cards and documents including a driving licence and insurance.

Then at 6pm, a woman left her car unlocked when she went to post cards at a friend's home.

The thief opened the door, grabbed the £50 black Tula handbag and a toy wrapped up in Christmas paper before fleeing.

Pc McSweeney added: "Apart from the misery of the thefts, these victims also have to go through all the hassle of stopping their bank cards and cheque books.

"It's been a miserable start to Christmas for them."

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Top tips on beating crooks

PEOPLE can get crime prevention tips 24 hours a day by logging on to West Yorkshire police's website.

The advice - especially aimed at Christmas crime - is designed to help people protect themselves as much as possible from opportunist thieves.

The website's address is www.westyorkshire.police.uk

Head of crime prevention Det Insp John Birkenshaw said: "This is obviously the busiest time of the year for many when shopping centres are crowded with festive shoppers snapping up last minute presents.

"Unfortunately it can also be a busy time for the Christmas crooks only too eager to take advantage of the opportunities created during the seasonal rush.

"We recognise that people have a lot on their minds and this is where the police website can help by providing quick help, advice and timely reminders 24 hours a day at the click of a button."

The safety tips include:

* Before hitting the shops, leave lights on in the house to make it looked lived in. Better still, use a timer light and radio.

* Take care when parking your car. Don't be tempted to drop off some presents in the back which might be tempting to thieves. Never leave anything on display. Use a secure car park if possible - and the website gives a list of the most secure car parks.

* Be aware who is behind you when drawing money out of cashpoints. Watch out for people trying to find out your personal identification number. Keep your cards safe.

* Never leave your mobile phone unattended, even for a second and be aware of who is close to you when you use it. If they look suspicious, don't use your phone. The police website tells people how to find out the phone's personal identification number.

* The website also includes pages from Crimestoppers showing photographs of people the police want to trace.